Notice Board

Today marks the five-year anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report — one of our country’s most important undertakings.

Over the course of the last five years, much work has been done in response to the TRC report and its Calls to Action. This work is just a beginning, a starting point on what promises to be a long and, at times, difficult road to a rightful destination of true reconciliation.

Our University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Aboriginal peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.

Reconciliation at the U of L is a commitment we take seriously and can be seen in significant steps forward. By appointing Charles Weaselhead the first Indigenous Chancellor in Canadian post-secondary; through the introduction of the EleV program designed to support new pathways for Indigenous youth through education and onto employment; and in creating new courses such as LibEd 1850, Conversational Indigenization: Reconciling Reconciliation, the University has positioned itself at the forefront of these essential conversations.

This is our responsibility, and as leaders in our community, a role we accept sincerely as we navigate our way towards creating a true understanding of reconciliation. This is also a shared responsibility between the First Nations of Blackfoot Confederacy, the University and the greater southern Alberta Community. Only through education and purposeful measures can we respect properly the Calls to Action as we seek to create a fully inclusive society that acknowledges our country’s dark past while focussing on an enlightened future.

Mike Mahon, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor

Charles Weaselhead
Chancellor